Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-15


guns ready.
Tnr moon rose gradually, and had
good opportunity to study perfect silence
Ncthn4 can be more deeply silent IMAM d
stlll night in the desert. As there 10 litt!e
or no vege, alton on these vast oceans OF
sand, there ia no Insect life, and TOT sew
eral hours alter the moon rose absolute
silence reigned. " c did not speak. mere
was no wind. 1t seemed as II there was
no living thing in that widespread eX-
panse of country. A vast desert con-
tains everything, and yet nothing, tor you
feel nearer to God and farther from man
than you have ever been before.
! was beginning to feel sleepy and nod
frequently, when prolonged roar sound
ed close al hand. In an instant we were
wide awake, and grasped our guns ner-
vously. AT the next instant the roar was
answered from location Immediately
beneath us. On looking down, we saw a
li0ness lying on her belly, her head De-
tween her paws, and her long tail waving
luXuriouslv to and fro. She looked like d
huge cat enjoying some pieasurable SEN
sation. Almost instantly third wv oof!
woofr' sounded at our backs. "Gad,
Doc" breathed Mac, 1--WE are in for bay
to-nlghtn' and a moment later two mag
niticent males stepped slowly and majes-
tically into view. The female continued
to purr and wave her tail gently.
AS soon as the Two lions spied each
other they prepared for action. Slowly
and carefully they neared ecth other, the
liOness meanwhile watching them as a
cat does a mouse. Closer and closer they
drew while we, spell-bound. reserved our
fire to witness the terrible duel that was
impending.
And now they crouch, and, with mutual
rOars OF rage, spring at each other and,
meeting in mid-leap, fall, biting and tear
ing to the earth. We cauld hear their
bones crush between their powerful
jaws, like egg-shells beneath mans boot
heel. The lioness, maintaining her tram
gull attitude, watched the conflict. as it
seemed to my excited eyes, with devil
ish smile on her face, Over and over they
rolled, while the sickening sound of
champing bones filled the air, mingled
with their frantic roaring and the move
ment of their bodies as they thrashed
through the Willing sand. By this time
my nerves were so wrought up that |
could scarcely stand the spectacle any
longer, and taking deliberate aim at
the liOness behind her shoulder blade, l
let fly. Above the rumble of the smooth
bore sounded tbs Shrek of the ljoness as
the heavy bail crashed into her vltais.
The TWO duelists at once ceased their en-
counter, and as one OF them turned he
received MaccOvOv's rifle bullet in the
head, the missile piercing the hollow over
the eye, where the skull is weak, and en-
terIng the BRAIN; death was almost in
Simultaneous. The other male, with a
laundering 'wOOfr' gave mighty
spring and landed halfway up the tree
trunk, nearly shaking us from our perch.
Asilla hastily discharged one of the spare
guns slap-bang into his lace, but pr0ba-
hIf- only pPnzOd for fo L
Ing back he disappeared into the dark
ness, toward where the means aud cries
of the loness grew fainter and fainter
every moment.
The moon being on the ware, after all
sounds had ceased, we returned to camp.
with many prom SEES to each other to take
up The epOor Of our wounded enemies in
the morning and track them 10 their
death. Accordingly at daybreak, with
a party of fifty Arab beaters, we returned
to the ''staudi' and were soon on the spoor
of the wounded liOness. The sand was
torn up for quite space as if the animal
had suffered terrible agony. and following
the trail for at least nine miles in a south
easterly direction, the dogs gave tongue
at tamarisk brake. that enteHded on
three sides Of quite a body of brackish
water. Some four or five of the dogs, OF
better blood than the average Arab cur,
OaSloQ lnLO Jl6 U2ngl6: ana the next IN
tant we mad the satisfaction of seeing the
mangled remains OF one flung up in the
air from about the centre of the patch.
A chorus of yelps and snarlngs now
set in, and one discOnsOlate cur limped
painfully out. his ribs bare If flesh where
the liOness' paw had struck him. We
were now in a predicament. After an
hours Internal CHATTER by the heaters we
were SO tar from getting her royal high
ness out as ever, tor show herself she
would rot.
at the tamarisk is only dry enough
quoIh Mac, 1--WE can soon smoke her out"
and he gallOped round through the beat
ers, and soon voily of flaming torches
rained into the break. TaIs fetched her.
She made a gallant charge out and almost
up to us before we gave TO her shot. For
a moment the noble beast seemed
stunned. Then as the smoke cleared
away we saw her return to the shelter.
More torches were thrown In, and tour
separate times did the desperate liOness
charge us dauntlessiy and receive our
fire before finally ting the dust.
SBe had eleven bullet holes in her, be-
side the smashed shoulder. blade 1 had
given her the night before. With that
bullet in her (Which had passed through
her ana lay against ner ribs on the Oppo-
site side 20 that II had entared) size had
Travelled nearly nine miles, had made five
determined PUSHES, killed and disabled
four dogs. and died like the heroine she
was, in mid charge.
10Th, Pc